Four album titles, three years, two children, and one Adidas deal later, Kanye West’s seventh solo album has finally come to fruition. The process of crafting The Life of Pablo has been an incredibly lengthy and transparent one, heavily publicized through West’s impassioned Twitter musings. As he vacillated tirelessly between different tracklists, album titles, release dates, and rollout tactics, it became nearly impossible not to feel a slight personal investment in the LP’s release.
When the album was finally unleashed upon the clamoring masses at West’s Yeezy Season Three fashion show on February 11th, it became immediately clear that the high expectations set for the infamous visionary’s album had been fulfilled. Witty in his lyricism and innovative in his musicality, West has created yet another genre-defining piece of art. A handful of hip hop’s most promising up-and-comers lend verses to the album, pumping vivacity into an already colorful sonic landscape.
More than a decade into his rapping career, West is still constantly reinventing himself. With each new album, he consistently delivers a new sound. The Life of Pablo takes the experimental dissonance of 2013’s Yeezus and expands upon it, drawing in sonic elements from his earliest work and unexplored territories alike. He links up with an impressive range of producers, including not only the usual suspects such as Travis Scott, Cashmere Cat, and Hudson Mohawke, but also some unexpected collaborators like Future’s right hand man Metro Boomin and the legendary Madlib. Elements of gospel, rock, and house are interpolated into each track’s production, uniting the individual songs as one cohesive unit.
Kanye West’s dedication to pushing hip hop in new, progressive directions has been unwavering throughout his entire career, and it certainly doesn’t falter now. The Life of Pablo is a thrilling, transportive listen that is sure to have a lasting impact on rap music well into the future.
Standout Tracks: “Ultralight Beam (feat. Chance The Rapper, The-Dream & Kelly Price)”, “Famous (feat. Rihanna & Swizz Beatz)” and “No More Parties in L.A. (feat. Kendrick Lamar)”
